When it comes to video cards there have always been
three distinct options, budget, mid range and high end. The main
drawback to this is there has always been a HUGE margin of difference
between the three brackets. Slower memory/ core speeds and fewer
pixel pipelines equate to a significant drop in performance. The
XL line of cards is basically a hybrid of mid range and high end
ATI cards, yet it retains the mid range price tag. With slower
memory and core speeds, but the same 16 pixel pipelines as the
XT cards the XL has proven to be an excellent choice for those
looking for the biggest performance boost per dollar spent.
The HIS
X800XL IceQ turbo 256MB PCIe has an impressive sounding name,
and according to the technical specs should provide some impressive
results as well. As mentioned above, the XL line of cards is a
hybrid, they have slower clock speeds than an X800 Pro, but have
a full 16 pixel pipelines as opposed to the 12 found on the X800
Pro. With core speeds just above those of an X800, the X800XL
is a mixture of all of the X8xx line from the standard X800 on
up to the X800XT.
Features and Specifications
| Model Name |
HIS X800XL IceQ II Turbo 256MB PCIe |
| Chipset |
Radeon X800 PCIe Series |
| ASIC |
R430 |
| Pixel Pipelines |
16 |
| Vertex Engines |
6 |
| Manu. Process (Micron) |
110nm |
| Transistor |
160M |
| Fill Rate |
6912MTexel/s |
| Memory Size (MB) |
256 |
| Memory Type |
GDDR3 |
| RAMDAC (MHz) |
400 Dual |
| Engine CLK (MHz) |
432 (Turbo) |
| Memory CLK (MHz) |
1000 (Turbo) |
| Memory Interface (bit) |
256 |
| Memory Bandwidth |
32.0GB/s |
| Max. Resolution |
2048x1536 |
| Bus Interface |
PCIe |
| VGA |
Yes |
| 2nd VGA |
Yes |
| DVI |
Yes |
| 2nd DVI |
No |
| TV-out |
Yes |
| HDTV (YPrPb component output) |
Yes |
| Video-in |
No |
| TV Tuner |
No |
| FM Tuner |
No |
Massive Performance Gives Rise to High-Definition
(HD) Gaming
The HIS X800 series produces frame rates that surpass all previous
graphic processors. Based on a radically new architecture, ATI
has combined the latest semiconductor manufacturing process with
ultra-fast and efficient GDDR3 memory to produce extreme data
rates and unbelievable acceleration in a quiet and cool single-slot
solution. The result is an incredibly smooth and responsive high-definition
gaming experience.
World's most advanced 3D Architecture
The HIS X800 series features SMARTSHADER™ HD, the most advanced
pixel shader engine ever offered. With up to 16 parallel pixel
pipelines, 6 programmable vertex shader pipelines and an overall
capability of up to 200 GigaFLOPS, the HIS X800 series delivers
the most advanced high-definition 3D animation for the ultimate
intense and interactive game play. The HIS X800 series also offers
unparalleled DirectX® 9.0 and OpenGL® shader support to
ensure current and upcoming games look and play brilliantly, especially
in high-definition.
Cutting Edge Video Technology
With VIDEOSHADER™ HD, the HIS X800 series takes advantage of its
advanced shader processing engine for user programmable video
effects, video quality enhancement, and encoding and decoding
of many video standards, including MPEG1/2/4, Real Media, DivX
and WMV9. The HIS X800 series also supports the latest high-definition
and widedisplay formats, giving users bigger and more vivid movie,
gaming and Internet experiences.
IceQ cooling technology
| The IceQ cooling system draws cool
air from inside the case and exhausts warm air outwards.
This prevents the fan from recycling warm air to cool
the VPU, which increases cooling performance and lower
the air temperature inside the case significantly. |
|
HIS iTURBO Utility
HIS iTURBO easy to use interface provides a
flexibility way for users to adjust the VPU clock, memory
clock and fan speed, with the features of VPU temperature
and fan speed monitoring. |
| CrossFire™ Multi-GPU Ready |
| HIS CrossFire™ is the ultimate multi-GPU
consumer graphics solution, igniting an entirely new gaming
experience with the power of multiple GPUs within a single
PC. Starting with a HIS CrossFire Ready graphic card and motherboard,
using a single external cable unites another HIS CrossFire™
Edition co-processor graphic card. HIS CrossFire™ accelerates
all your games, all the time, and delivers the highest image
quality modes and resolutions with no special software or
patches needed for compatibility. |
OK, enough of all the technical jargon, lets take a look at
the card and what you get with it. The box is pretty unassuming,
no loud graphics jumping out at you, just information about
the card on the front and back as well as a window to give you
a peak at what lies inside.
Accessories:
HIS didn't include a huge bundle of outdated demos
for games that no one really plays anymore. The actual software
bundle is pretty small and as far as I'm concerned that's the
way I prefer it. I would much rather the money I'm spending
be on the hardware and not a bundle of useless demo's and utilities
I'll never use.
I actually installed Dungeon Siege and still play
it to this day, I think that's a first for any bundled software
I've ever received with a video card.
Once the card is removed from the box it's kind
of hard to miss the IceQ cooling system that covers the entire
front of the card. It looks to me like a modified Arctic Silencer,
and if you have read any of the reviews for that cooler it performs
quite well. Due to the size of the cooler the card takes up
two slots at the back of your PC, so if you have a lot of PCI
devices you might need to start looking into alternatives as
you will lose access to one PCI slot. There is another PCI plate
that covers the slot taken up by the fan, the picture below
does not show the slot cover,
The actual heatsink on this card is massive, it
covers the memory and core on the front of the card and consists
of about 30 fins.
According to HIS this cooler will keep the card
11C degrees cooler than the stock cooler and do it at a noise
level less then 20db. I don't have a way to test the actual
noise level, but I can tell you I was unable to hear the IceQ
cooler over any of the fans in my case.
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